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tv   CNN Newsroom  CNN  December 8, 2012 9:00am-10:00am PST

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>> well, part of the reason i think, once again, this is conjecture that in 2008, when this occurred, some of the information might have been on removable disks because that's how they transported information. we have leapt forward in technology since then. >> reporter: but o'neil has his own questions. >> why did the contractor have it? why wasn't it chained to his wrist with a handcuff in a case that he would, the second he stood up think i need to grab it. >> reporter: i put that to a secret service official who did not answer directly, but did say protocols have been put in place to make sure this doesn't happen, again. brian todd, cnn, washington. cnn newsroom continues with joe johns who's in for fredricka today. hello. i hand it off to you. >> thanks, randi. good work. the hardest working woman in television. >> early hours but we get through it. have a good one. >> hey, everybody. outrage and anger is growing over the tragic death of a london nurse who was fooled by a radio prank. the nurse killed herself friday
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after she was tricked into giving confidential information about prince william's pregnant wife while the duchess was in her care. a short time ago the hospital where she worked released a statement. it reads in part, it was extremely foolish of your presenters even to consider trying to lie their way through to one of our patients, let alone actually make the call. and went on to call the actions of the australian radiation a pappal -- radio station appalling. the radio station has taken action against the d.j.s. >> we have decided this show will not return until further notice out of respect of what can only be described as a tragedy. >> let's get more on the story from senior international correspondent matthew chance. >> you know what? they were the worst accents ever. >> it was meant as a light-hearted aussie prank. even after the station issued an
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apology the two d.j.s who duped the hospital were making light of it. >> we were sure a hundred people at least before us would have tried the same thing. >> now they have been suspended from their jobs and one of the nurses they hue mail yated and fooled is dead. >> it is with deep sadness that i can confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, jacintha saldanha. she was recently the victim of a hoax call to the hospital. >> reporter: hospital officials say she was the nurse who transferred the prank call to the royal ward. personal details about the condition of the duchess of cambridge who was being treated for severe morning sickness were disclosed. two days later, saldanha's body was found a short distance from the hospital door. there had been a suggestion some kind of complaint from the royal family about the prank call may have put pressure on the nurse.
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but a royal source tells cnn no such complaint was ever made. this hospital rejects any suggestion that it may have disciplined the nurse for transferring the call, saying it's been supporting her throughout this very difficult time. the duke and duchess of cambridge, so happy on leaving the hospital this week issued a statement expressing their deep sadness at the nurse's death and thanking hospital staff for looking after them so wonderfully well. if you can believe that the uplifting news that a royal baby is on the way has taken such an ugly, tragic turn. matthew chance, cnn, london. >> former south african president nelson man dela is in the hospital. a government statement said he was admitted in pretoria today to undergo test. they say he's doing well and the tests are routine for someone his age. he's 94 years old.
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we'll have a live report on his condition coming up in 20 minutes. u.s. authorities are investigating whether a man detained in egypt played a role in the attacks on the u.s. consulate in benghazi. egyptian authorities have detained mohamed jamal abu ak med. he was removed from prison after the downfall of mubarak's regime. susan, what do we now know about the arrest of the alleged terror suspect? >> hi, joe. u.s. authorities are looking at whether this man involved in an egypt-based terror network is responsible for that attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi on september 11 according to a u.s. official with direct knowledge of the investigation. mohamed achmed was detained by egyptian authorities. the fbi which is conducting the investigation has not had access to him yet.
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following the attack he popped up on their radar. the official wouldn't comment on what led them to him. joe. >> what does this investigation mean in the big picture for the benghazi attacks? >> it's running on several different tracks. they are looking at a lot of different people to find out if they are connected. in this case, the man is noted as a ultra radical jihadist. 45 years old with a master's in sharia law. after the down fall of hasni mubarak he was released from jail and is believed to with be behind a terror group seeking to align with al qaeda. now achmed allegedly confessed to traveling to libya and having joined the resistance there. but an egyptian official said he denied any connection to the attack on the u.s. consulate or affiliation for al qaeda.
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at the time he was arrested he was armed with two machine guns. he's believed to be connected to a terror cell called the nasr city cell. when it was taken down there was a huge stockpile of weapons including rocket-propelled grenades, explosive belts and investigators have work to do now to figure out his suspected role in the u.s. consulate attack. >> the denials are interesting. thanks, susan. i know you will stay on top of that. next march the u.s. supreme court is expected to tackle laws governing same-sex marriage. it will hear two arguments, one involves the constitutionality of the defense of marriage act which denies federal benefits to same sex spouses. the case was brought by 83-year-old edith windsor who was required to pay hundreds of thousands in estate taxes when her long-time partner died. an appeals court ruled that violated the constitution's
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equal protection clause. the supreme court will look into proposition 8. striking it down could have an immediate impact on gay spouses denied benefits. casey wayan introduces us to a california couple with a lot riding on the issue. >> reporter: november 1 was a big day. did you think four years later you would be fighting a legal battle for the rights that other married couples enjoy? >> on that particular day it wasn't on our minds. >> reporter: three days later californians voted to outlaw future marriages. their union is recognized by the state, but not by the federal government tracy served as a 12-year highly decorated army veteran. >> especially after the repeal of don't ask, don't tell, there are other veterans that are
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going to be facing this same issue. >> reporter: for them, the immediate issue is spousal disability benefits for which maggie is ineligible. >> i look forward to a time when it's a fully recognized marriage in the eyes of the federal government and that we don't have to worry about burdens that are going on in our daily lives. >> reporter: such as tracy's diagnosis of multiple sclerosis which they have determined is related to her service in wars in iraq and afghanistan. they are suing the federal government. tell me what you hope to accomplish in this lawsuit? >> long story short i want to make sure if and when something does happen to me, if any service-connected issues get worse, i get sick or incapacitated that maggie is provided for. >> reporter: unless the federal government recognizes same-sex marriages maggie won't be elg bable for $1200 in monthly survivor benefits if tracy dies.
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they also can't be buried together in a military cemetery. the justice kept wouldn't comment on the case because it is in litigation. >> there is an injustice. i figure we would try to do what we can to fix it. >> you have so much love for another person. you want to build a family, have that start with them. i can't think of anything better. this is a good civil rights fight. >> reporter: cnn, pasadena, california. >> let's bring in our legal guys. avery freedman in cleveland, ohio. and richard hermann, new york criminal defense lawyer joining us from las vegas. richard, the supreme court has choices of cases it could take here. it decided to take these two, doma and proposition 8. why do you think they took these and not others? >> you know, after this election, this issue is so ripe
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for the supreme court the jurisdictions are so split in their laws, many states recognizing same-sex marriage and performing same-sex marriages. some states not recognizing them. this is the perfect scenario for the supreme court to step in and ultimately make a ruling. there are over 1,000 cases, joe, in which federal laws are impacted by marital status. the time has come. it's ripe. prop 8 was on the doorstep for the supreme court. here we go. >> avery, we were trading e-mails a little bit a while ago. one of the questions i asked you was whether the supreme court essentially gave itself an emergency escape hatch with one of the cases it chose. can you talk about that? >> late yesterday, as you know, joe, the supreme court amended its grant of review when it said, we want to know about the issue of standing. meaning does the person involved in the challenge have the right
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to be there in the first place. if the court doesn't then what it means in practical terms is if you don't have the right to be in court, you don't have standing, the supreme court though it looked like a constitutional show down never has to take the case. it's a supreme court rope a dope. because they will duck out on procedural issues and that may happen here. >> talking about the standing for the bipartisan legal advisory group, group of members of congress who decided to take this on and defend the defense of marriage act. another question is whether either of these cases being decided will settle it or whether other same-sex cases are coming down the pike and still need the court's attention. >> this is the definitive determination on whether or not the federal government recognizes a marital union between a man and another man or a woman and another woman.
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this is going to be the determination on federal law to set it straight. >> richard, do you think there is a possibility the court can decide at least the defense of marriage case without reaching the constitutional question and just talk about the benefits that people get or don't get depending on whether they are same-sex or not? >> no. i think they have to make this -- i'm sorry. go ahead, avery. >> go ahead, avery. >> i was going to say simply stated the court can basically invalidate doma which is a screwy law, joe. it was a compromise act signed by bill clinton. always seemed unconstitutional. even the justice department won't defend doma. so they can wrap it just on invalidating doma without answering the question of the validity of same-sex marriage. that's an easy way to do it. that's what supreme court decisions often will resolve
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cases by. look at the procedural issue. this is an answer the american people want. the supreme court recognizes that. they will make a ruling on it. this court will decide this. >> hang on, guys. a wisconsin dad is on the hook for $90,000 in back child support. he had nine kids with six different women. what the judge said he can't do anymore until he pays up. legal guys will weigh in on that as well. and the looming fiscal cliff. the president says raising money on the wealthiest americans could raise a trillion dollars. from the best players in history to the number 1 club in the world. the potential of manchester united unlocked. nyse euronext. unlocking the world's potential.
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if congress and the president can reach a deal on averting the fiscal cliff it may well mean higher taxes for the wealthiest americans. cnn political editor paul steinhauser explains what that means. >> hey, joe. raising taxes on high earning americans is the biggest sticking point between president obama and congressional republicans as they try to hammer out a deal to avert the country falling off the fiscal cliff. >> let's allow higher rates to go up for the top 2%. by doing that alone we raise almost trz z $2 trillion. >> increasing rates will hit small businesses that produce 60 to 70% of the new jobs in our country. >> most americans agree with the president. a majority say they are okay with raising taxes on people with incomes over a quarter million a year. this poll is one of three surveys out over the past week
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and a half to indicate the public gives a thumbs-up to raising taxes on high earners. the polls indicate a big partisan divide with democrats and independents supporting such a move and a majority of republicans opposed. the polls also suggest that most people want cuts in government spending as part of a deal to avert the fiscal cliff. not when it comes to entitlements. according to three new surveys a majority say no to raising the eligibility age for medicare. does the public think politicians in washington will hammer out a deal before the end of the year deadline? americans appear divided. a plurality in one poll say yes. a plurality in another are pessimistic. one thing most people agree on -- they want both sides to compromise to get a deal done. joe? >> cnn political editor paul steinhauser. thanks. coming up, a story and you ask yourself how could this happen? a baby girl caught in a custody battle between her biological
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father and the adoptive parents who said he never knew she was put up for adoption. our legal guys weigh in on the case. save you 15% today if you open up a charge card account with us. >> announcer: we all love a good deal during the holidays, especially identity thieves. they can open an account in your name and go on a serious spending spree. >> do you have cufflinks? >> mm-hmm. >> gold ones? >> announcer: not on our watch. we're lifelock, with the most comprehensive identity theft protection you can buy. go to lifelock.com or call 1-800-lifelock today. [whoosh] lifelock-- relentlessly protecting your identity.
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a little girl in utah is the focus of a custody battle between her biological father who never knew she was put up for adoption and the parents who want to keep her. here's the story. >> reporter: a beautiful 21 month old girl at the center of the battle. her father calls her taliya. >> i have been with her six hours of other life. that's hard to deal with. >> reporter: her adopted parents call her leah. they say terry abandoned her so they had a legal right to make her part of the family. a judge didn't agree and ruled in favor of terry saying the fries had no justification for withholding teleah from terry. >> utah. >> you follow the rule of law.
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they are buying and selling children is what's happening here. in this case they went too far and took a child away from a married father. >> reporter: she was born in march of 2011. her mother and terry who was in the military had marital problems. a month before she was born he left for military duty and his wife cut off communication. >> she went behind my back and gave up my child for adoption. >> reporter: terry has been trying to get her back since june of 2011. the freis say terry took almost no efforts to find her whereabouts after birth. he never requested an update on her health and well-being and say they consider it abandonment. >> she couldn't talk on the phone at the time. how could she know who she was talking to? >> avery friedman is in cleveland.
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richard herman joins us from las vegas. when you look at a situation like this the first thing you ask is if there is a policy problem here. do either of you see a policy problem that there is a rule where the left hand isn't telling the right what's going on? avery? >> you know, joe. you know about going to law school. but the truth is i don't see a policy issue at all. the fact is every married mot er or father has a constitutional liberty interest in their child. judge mcdade wrote a 48-page opinion saying what the adoption agency did in refusing to turn over the child essentially was -- he said it was indefensible. even though the child will suffer because the child is going back to the natural father. there is no claim. jared and kristy freis basically
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are saying god is on their side. god is on the side of the child here. legally, the child, i think, is going back to the natural father. >> richard, what about the issue of abandonment? >> yeah. that's a nice argument to make here except for one thing. the biological father was duped and defrauded by mom of the year who told him she lost the child at birth. the child was then placed with this adoption agency. during the course of the adoption proceedings this biological father called the adoption agency and said, listen, i understand you have my daughter. i want her back. give me the information about her. the adoption agency said, no. we're not going to disclose anything to you. you cannot underestimate the power of the mormon church in utah who feel they determine the best interests of the child and that should be with a husband and a wife raising the child.
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that's the problem. >> that's not our case. >> the judge deemed this case indefensible. it is the people who have the child ought to be incarcerated. the child must be returned to the biological father. >> you can't blame the church. i think this is just a battle between two people who love this child. judge mcday did the right thing. >> we all know the main thing controlling here is the best interest of the child. do you think a court ruling taking the kid back to the father is the best interest of the child? >> no question about it. it's a biological father, joe. that trumps anything. it's the biological parent has the right. if these parents do oh not turn the child over, they will be incarcerated for con oh tempt of court. they should be. >> that's right. >> we have a full screen stramt. the salt lake city tribune said kristi frei said we have only
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ever wanted to do right by leah. we have been acting in her best interest to keep her with with our family and raise her as our own. our hearts have demanded it. there has never been any question to us that she's ours. what about that? >> that's a loving mother and father who were given a child by the adoption agency wrongfully. now the consequences, the best interest of the child is governed by the law. a natural parent who didn't abandon a child has the right to the baby. that's what's going to happen here and frankly it's what should happen here. >> these are mental cases. they've got to turn the child over. their statement is ridiculous. >> let's go to this wisconsin judge telling this man to stop making babies. at a recent sentencing hearing a judge ordered cory curtis who has nine children with six women
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to stop his compulsive procreation and pay the $90,000 he owes in child support and he's now prohibited from fathering another child unless he can demonstrate his ability to support the child. it's a condition of his probation. guys, isn't there a right to privacy and a right to procreate that a court can't put any constraints on? avery? >> that's great. in a general sense there is a right to privacy. not in curtis's case. this guy is out there. he considers himself a love machine, i guess. he's out there procreating all over the place. judge boyle in this case did exactly the right thing. pay up the child support. do the other things that are required. unfortunately he has other crimes he's been convicted of. if there is a number ten child he's going to jail.
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there's not going to be a number 11 or 12. i think judge boyle did the right thing. i don't see it as a privacy issue. this guy's out of control. >> richard, $90,000 before you can have more babies. >> this is -- i'll tell you something. first of all it's only $50,000 he's in arrears. $40,000 is interest on top of that. >> good. >> i think the judge has a problem. here's the issue. in the state there is precedent to do this in an instance where a similar set of circumstances nine children, $100,000 in arrears. the father was a deadbeat. didn't pay. but he had the ability to pay. the judge in that case said you cannot have any children unless you clear up your arrears and pay child support. in this case, joe, this individual does not have the ability to pay and he should appeal this case. >> sure he does. >> the judge will be reversed because he doesn't have the ability to pay.
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>> not a chance. >> he will not appeal it. he says he'll abide by the decision. >> we're going to wrap up here. according to the smoking gun the court records show she's been arrested and charged with failure to pay child support on numerous occasions over the last 11 years. >> and burglary and hot checks, joe. >> you got it. >> he's been convicted, right. >> we'll come back to you in 15 minutes. we'll also talk about a woman sued for defamation over her negative reviews on yelp. former south african president is in the hospital. we have a live report from johannesburg. if you have to go out today, you can continue watching cnn from your mo pile phone. you can also ach cnn live from your laptop. go to cnn.com/tv. [ male announc] this is bob, a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib:
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why he's been hospitalized? >> reporter: there is not a lot of information coming out from the presidency here. the statements that you alluded to was very placatory to give the south african and the international public a sense that everything's okay. they said he's well, there is nothing to worry about. that the medical attention is consistent with his age. remember, mandela is 94. that said, mandela has around the clock medical attention at his rural homestead in the eastern cape. his doctors must be sufficiently concerned about his health, joe, to fly him across the country to this hospital in pretoria. >> you have been able, being there, to get at least a bit of an assessment as to how his health was when you last saw him. give us a sense of that. >> i was fortunate to be at his birthday party in july at his
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homestead. he looked old. no doubt. he's much frailer than the previous year i saw him. he struggles to walk, i understand. particularly in the last few weekses he hasn't been saying much. he's been, quote, quiet. that said he's robust. he has an extraordinary will to live. look at his life story. there have been other health scares and he's always bounced back. we are unclear at this moment how serious it is. when i did see him a few months ago he looked pretty strong for his age. >> he is certainly very resilient. thanks for that report. we'll keep up with you. now let's check stories trending on the web. loyalist paramilitaries are behind violence in northern ireland. 12 people including a 13-year-old boy were arrested in belfast overnight. authorities are appealing for calm ahead of more protests planned in the area.
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the korean pop star psy is apologizing for an anti-american song he sang in 2004. the singer who became famous for his gangnam style song. he said he was emotionally charged but he's learned there are limits to what language is appropriate. the los angeles county coroner's office is releasing an autopsy report on christopher wallace, also known as the notorious b.i.g. he was shot to death more than 15 years ago. the report offers fresh details about his death. for more on what's trending log onto cnn.com. if you're selling your house now you could be hit with serious tax implications if we go over the fiscal cliff. that's coming up next. [ nyquil bottle ] hey tylenol, you know we're kinda like twins. [ tylenol bottle ] we are?
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a lot of people are making financial decisions based on what's going to happen if the u.s. goes over the so-called fiscal cliff. as christine romans reports, some homeowners could face a big tax bill. >> reporter: one in three homes in the third quarter sold short meaning you sell for less than you owe on it. right now you don't owe taxes on the forgiven debt. on the other side of the fiscal cliff you do. the mortgage forgiveness debt relief act gives homeowners a tax break on unpaid mortgage debt. it expires unless congress acts. >> the average amount homeowners are short is $95,000. if the tax break goes away as
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part of the so-called fiscal cliff they could be taxed on the $95,000 as additional income starting in 2013. >> how much homeowners will owe on that amount depends on the tax bracket they are in. on average it would be $20,000 to $25,000. banks have extra incentive to sell short and absorb the loss. under the act that went in this year the nation's biggest lenders get a credit on short sales. foreclosures also sell for $30,000 less than homes sold via short sales. expect short sales to jump more as homeowners look to avoid getting hit with taxes and banks look to avoid getting stuck with properties. if we go over the cliff the tax bill homeowners face with the short sale may be steep enough to walk away instead. that would push foreclosure rates higher in 2013. for smart is the new rich i'm christine romans.
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>> coming up, a huge legal headache for pop star shakira. she's being slapped with a $100 million lawsuit by her ex-boyfriend and former business partner. does he have a case? our legal guys share their thoughts. americans believe they should be in charge of their own future. how they'll live tomorrow. for more than 116 years, ameriprise financial has worked for their clients' futures. helping millions of americans retire on their terms. when they want. where they want. doing what they want. ameriprise. the strength of a leader in retirement planning. the heart of 10,000 advisors working with you one-to-one. together for your future. ♪ together for your future. if we want to improve our schools... ... what should we invest in?
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legal trouble is brewing for international pop star shakira. she's being sued for $100 million by her former manager and boyfriend. he claims he turned her into an icon and wants her to pay up. the legal guys are back. avery friedman and richard herman. the gist of the question filed is whether this guy can collect on what was essentially a verbal contract. this is basically a breach of contract case. do you think he can collect on a verbal contract for this kind of money, avery? >> well, you know what? shakira made "hips don't lie" famous but she claims her ex-boyfriend is lying. when it comes to the existence of the contract you're on point. there is no evidence except for
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one thing, joe. that's that in october of 2011 shakira writes an instruction to her lawyer that's gone public that says fire delarua, as if he were an employee. if not an employee why would shakira give instructions to fire him? while there is no contract, the court will dismiss most of this. what remains is that one question. i think that's ultimately what goes to a jury. that's where shakira is facing problems. >> richard, there is more evidence when you think about it from her website january 2011 a statement where she said, quote, we continue to be partners in our business and professional lives. is that flimsy evidence or enough to say, this guy wins? >> this guy will absolutely win this case. shakira must settle. the fact that there is no written agreement -- while it
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would be nice -- is not controlling. what the courts will do is look at the course of conduct between the parties. does it corroborate? does it substantiate terms of an agreement? he was with her since 2004. he made her explode on the pop scene. he is responsible for all of this. he was paid during that period of time. then when she got a new boyfriend she left. joe, listen. she not only said that. he said, he continues -- when they broke up. he continues to oversee and conduct my business interests as he has always done. she further said, we continue to be partners in all our projects. when you post that up to a jury, she's done. she is done. look at the course of payment over the time. that will control. he has an absolute lawsuit here. an absolute right to collect. he will collect. joe, she'll settle this case. >> i agree she'll settle it.
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but i don't know that she wins on the merits. >> cnn reached out to shakira. we haven't gotten a comment back. >> she never called you back. >> you know -- >> think never call fred back either. >> i know, i know. what's the matter with these people? >> the yelp defamation suit. a woman in virginia hit with a defamation suit after claiming in an online yelp review that a contractor damaged her home and possibly stole her jewelry. there are a lot of people out there shocked by this. the contractors, christopher dietz files an internet defamation suit against jane perez last month saying postings on yelp and angie's list, for example, were false and scared customers away. people are surprised they can be hit with a defamation suit for something they write on the internet. should they be? richard? >> it's an interesting question, joe. each jurisdiction in our country
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is struggling with cases like this as social websites grow and as the eyeballs that view the sites grow, court wills struggle with these issues in the future. what can you do if you're slammed on the internet? what can you do? write to people and say, stop? or go to court to try to stop them which this contractor did. in the end an opinion is an opinion. it's not actionable for defamation cases. in this case, this contractor in the end will be dismissed in court. this person has every right to state her opinion as to the shoddy workmanship. >> her opinion, right. >> her opinion. >> and she cannot state that he stole anything. that's what the judge said. >> good point. >> she said missing jewelry. >> that's the point. >> she can't say that. everything else she can say. >> go ahead. we're looking at pictures, by the way, of some of the work she contends was sho shoddy. you be the judge.
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>> you know, christopher dietz responded on the site saying it didn't happen. we went to high school together. a court is intervening and i'm struggling with this. if the fist amendment means anything it means americans are supposed to sort these things out. again it's an interim order, not dispositive of the case. here is an example of oh where technology is leaps and bounds ahead of the law. we'll see mixed opinions by judges. it is a struggle. i think at the end of the day though the first amendment suffers with this kind of opinion. >> thanks so much. i guess i have to cut it off at this point. appreciate it. good to see you guys. the legal guys are here every saturday at this time at 4:00 p.m. eastern to give us their take on the most intriguing legal cases of the day. forget the winter blues. if you want sun, fun and relaxation, stick around. a travel expert tells us her top
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spots for a warm getaway. i'm ready for that. you know, one job or the other. the moment i could access the retirement plan, i just became firm about it -- you know, it's like it just hits you fast. you know, you start thinking about what's really important here. ♪
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72 degrees and sunny sounds good especially when many of us are dealing with a cold, gray winter. to escape the cold visit some place warm. kate maxwell, the editor in chief of jet setter explains. >> it's a fantastic time of year for costa rica. i was there over thanksgiving. it was in the 80s, sunny every day. parador resort and spa is a great place to base yourself. it's on the edge of the national park which is a jungle-filled wonderland. you will see sloths to monkeys, and loads of birds. it's a great place to combine adventure with beach. there are four spectacular beaches. the parador is a european-style resort. it has a spa, mini golf, tennis. some of the rooms even have their own jacuzzi on the balcony. tortuga bay is a hotel within a
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hotel. it's on the east coast of the dominican republic. stunning part of the caribbean. the hotel is designed by fashion designer eschar dela renta so it has a super chic look. tan and black interior. it's really, really up scale. the service is second to none. there are lots of restaurants. a six senses spa. they do some of my favorite spas in the world. swimming pools, water sports on offer. you can go snorkeling with stingrays and nurse sharks. go kiteboarding. there is lots of golf as well. at the saguaro, palm springs, most of them have a desert look. they're tan, banal. this is the exact opposite. it's a pop of color in the desert. multi-colored place. it has rooms that look onto an olympic-sized swimming pool. they start at just $139 a night.
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a fantastic restaurant called tinto which is by iron chef jose garces. it serves cuisine from the north part of spain and there is a tequila bar. lots to do in palm springs. take the tramway up the mountains where it's cooler. great for trekking. go to joshua tree national park or on architecture tours. >> for more travel tips and ideas visit jetsetter.com. tonight they will be awarding colleges heisman trophy and it could be life-changing for one player. could be historic for the trophy itself. [ ross ] the streets of monaco, home of the legendary grand prix circuit. the perfect place to bring the all-new cadillac ats to test the 2.0-liter turbo engine. [ engine revs ] ♪ [ derek ] 272 horsepower. the lightest in its class. the cadillac ats outmatches the bmw 3 series.
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aids is strong. aids is strong. but we are stronger. and aids... ♪ aids is going to lose. aids is going to lose. ♪ now checking top stories this hour. the fighting in syria is intensifying around damascus airport. reuters reports the government
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still controls the airport. but rebelses say they are blockading it from most sides. meanwhile the international community is worried president assad's troops may launch chemical weapons. syria says it won't use chemical weapons against its people. the supreme court is expected to hear arguments challenging two controversial laws on same-sex marriage. one is the federal defense of marriage act which denieses benefits to same-sex partners. also before the justices is the constitutionality of california's proposition 8. rulings could come as early as june. can he do it? just hours from now johnny manziel or "johnny football" could be the first freshman to win the heisman trophy. he's favored to win college football's most coveted award. the two other deserving finalists are kansas state quarterback collin klein and manti